Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Abella studies sudden cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death that claims over 300,000 lives each year in the United States. Specifically, projects within his clinical research team include: (1) evaluation of CPR and resuscitation performance, (2) testing new methods to teach CPR in the community, (3) prognostication of neurologic outcomes after cardiac arrest, and (4) methods to improve the application of therapeutic hypothermia. Dr. Abella is also the developer and Medical Director of a novel training course for therapeutic hypothermia use in the hospital setting.

Dr. Abella has published scholarly work in numerous professional journals including JAMA and Circulation, and has authored review monographs and textbook chapters on cardiac arrest and resuscitation. He serves on the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care task force and has participated in developing international CPR guidelines. He has won a number of honors for his research, clinical care in the Emergency Department and his teaching of residents and medical students, and has lectured widely on the topics of cardiac arrest and post-arrest hypothermia treatment. The investigative work of Dr. Abella’s team is supported by funding from the NIH and Medtronic Foundation, as well as industry sources.